My wife's dad worked for Boeing during the 747 rollout. He built the "coffins" for the champagne bottles used to christen that first 747. They were wood and satin and nicely done. The bottle was wrapped in red and white ribbon before it was used to keep it together to after it broke. We still have one of the bottles and coffin. We even have various memorabilia such as the first train ticket, buttons, etc from that day. The date was 30 September 1968.
Um, a coffin shape box used to hold a bottle used to christen an aircraft?
That seems a little macabre to me. What's the story (tradition?) behind that?